Chile's two-day shutdown begins with flaming barricades

Vehicles are blocked by a burning street barricade set up by protesters during a national strike in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday, Aug. 24. A nationwide strike shutting down Chile for two days has begun with people stoning buses and police clearing nearly two-dozen burning barricades around the capital of Santiago.

Ivan Alvarado / Reuters

Demonstrators block a main street with barricades during a 48-hour national strike in Santiago on Wednesday.

The AP reports:

SANTIAGO, Chile — Chilean students, opposition politicians and union workers are leading a two-day nationwide strike to fight for fundamental changes in government.

Some people are stoning buses and burning barricades as Santiago's streets fill with tear gas. Protesters planned marches downtown, but the government has warned them to stay out, threatening to invoke Chile's severe state security law against people who "incite the subversion of public order." Continue reading.